A massive Iranian ballistic missile barrage killed eight people and wounded 287 others early Monday morning as over 100 missiles slammed into central and northern Israel, marking the deadliest attack since Operation Rising Lion began on June 13.
The pre-dawn assault left buildings collapsed in major population centers, including Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Haifa, and Petah Tikva, with rescue operations continuing throughout the morning as authorities search for additional victims trapped in the rubble.
Home Front Command initially issued protective directives for southern regions and northern communities before expanding the alert to cover the entire country as the missile barrage intensified around 4:09 a.m.
The attack unfolded in waves, with the first missile impacts reported at 4:17 a.m. in various locations across central Israel. In Bnei Brak, three major structures – the Gesharim school, an eight-story residential building, and a synagogue – collapsed from direct hits.
An 80-year-old man was extracted without signs of life from the collapsed building in Bnei Brak, while emergency responders confirmed additional fatalities across multiple impact sites. Magen David Adom paramedic David Suysa, who treated victims at the Bnei Brak site, said, "When we conducted searches in the rubble together with additional Home Front Command personnel, we saw an 80-year-old man trapped and unconscious. We assisted in rescue operations, during medical examinations, we had to determine his death at the scene."
The Iranian missile strikes created complex emergency scenes across the Dan region, with massive fires erupting along entire streets in Tel Aviv where missiles struck between buildings. Emergency crews worked to extinguish fires and conduct search and rescue operations for trapped victims.
In Haifa, a direct hit on a building sparked active fires at the impact site, with reports of multiple casualties, and three people feared trapped in the rubble who have lost contact with rescue teams.
The casualty toll continued mounting throughout the morning as rescue operations progressed. Magen David Adom reported evacuating 95 victims from the overnight attacks, including 32 lightly wounded and four moderately wounded in Bnei Brak, along with one fatality.
Tel Aviv sustained hits at two separate locations, resulting in ten lightly wounded and two moderately wounded victims. Petah Tikva experienced the heaviest toll with 38 lightly wounded, two anxiety casualties, one moderately wounded, two in serious condition, and five fatalities confirmed.
The Carmel region reported two lightly wounded victims, while authorities confirmed three missing persons with grave concerns for their lives.
Dr. Lena Koren Feldman, director of Beilinson Hospital, confirmed the facility treated the largest number of casualties from the attack. "We received a total of 55 wounded following the missile barrage before dawn," she said. "Among the wounded was one woman in critical condition, three in moderate condition, and 51 lightly wounded."
The missile impacts created widespread destruction beyond the immediate casualty zones, with reports of infrastructure damage and power outages affecting multiple neighborhoods. Emergency services established evacuation centers for displaced residents, including a facility at a school on Abramsky Street in Bnei Brak where evacuees are staying on mattresses with minimal provisions.
Evacuated residents complained of receiving inadequate information about their future housing arrangements and lacking basic clothing and necessities. Many arrived wounded and traumatized after their apartments were completely destroyed in the direct hits.
Among the confirmed fatalities was Belina Ashkenazi, a 94-year-old Bat Yam resident, whose husband and son were injured in the attack and hospitalized at Ichilov Hospital. The death toll in Bat Yam reached eight after rescue forces extracted an additional victim's body early Monday morning.
The Iranian assault represents a significant escalation in Operation Rising Lion, with the missile barrage causing the most extensive civilian casualties and property damage since the conflict began. Israeli Air Force intercepted numerous missiles, though multiple projectiles penetrated air defenses to strike populated areas directly.
Foreign networks reportedly broadcast live coverage showing impact locations throughout Israeli territory, contrary to explicit requests from Israeli military spokesman guidelines prohibiting such real-time reporting of strike locations.
The attack prompted massive emergency response operations across multiple regions, with fire and rescue services, police, Home Front Command, and local authorities coordinating rescue efforts at impact sites. Search operations continue as authorities work to account for all potential victims and assess the full scope of damage from Iran's most devastating missile assault on Israeli civilian targets.
